Too Many Parklets in the Mission?

Parking in the city – don’t wanna hear it. Take away 14 parking spots – come again? Yet add something nice in the neighborhood, and voilà, people forget those 14 parking spots ever existed. Or, at least most people do.

Often, business owners see the parklets that have grown up along Valencia Street as an extension of commercial space. Customers and many residents see them as a social space. But to some residents, the park-like patches are hell on the ground – rest stops for the homeless or noisy drinkers.

In less than two years, six have appeared in the Mission – four on Valencia and two on 22nd Street. Citywide, the parklet population has jumped to 31 in little more than two years, according to pavementtoparks.sfplanning.org. The new public spaces met little early opposition, but that may be changing.

A new parklet proposed for the Mission Beach Café at Guerrero and 14th streets is running into a backlash. At least one for 24th Street was shelved by neighbors who opposed it, and when the first-ever Mission parklet on 22nd and Bartlett disappeared for renovation some neighbors were relieved to see it go and unhappy when it returned. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE